


Responsibility (Pure Fluff)

by ofwyrmsandguns



Category: Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, Sibling Banter, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 14:24:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20529512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwyrmsandguns/pseuds/ofwyrmsandguns
Summary: Katrielle is finally fed up of her older brother spending every waking, and sleeping, hour of the day at work, and manages to convince Scotland Yard to give him a day off.(This is a purely fluff edit of my other fic also named Responsibility. That one wasn't getting many notes and I blame the warnings I had to put on it for the ending, so here's a family-friendly version)





	Responsibility (Pure Fluff)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Responsibility](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20286703) by [ofwyrmsandguns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwyrmsandguns/pseuds/ofwyrmsandguns). 

Stairs weren't the most comfortable thing to be sat on, and Katrielle's backside was starting to feel numb from sitting on them so long, reading her favourite Famous Five novel. Hilda had promised she wouldn't be long, and Kat really couldn't wait much longer.

The long awaited knock on the door pulled her out of her book with a rush of joy as she leapt from her perch to get the door, stopping short and standing back as she heard someone talking on the other side of it.

“It's my own house, Hilda. Why are you knocking on the door?” Alfendi snapped, the door flying open not long after. Hilda looked quite fed up with him, while Alfendi just stared at Kat with confusion that slowly gave way to realisation.

“Here he is, Katrielle. Just as I promised.” Hilda said, trying to push Alfendi into the house.

“You called Hilda and told her to bring me home?” Alfendi asked. “I was working Kat, you can't do that!”

“Yes, she can. Stop worrying your little sister, Al. You're meant to be responsible for her.” Hilda scolded. “Although, it seems like she's the one taking care of you.”

Alfendi was currently leaning against the door frame, glaring between the two ladies and trying not to fall asleep as he stood. “I'm fine, Hilda. Stop nagging me.” He finally pushed his way into the house, giving Katrielle a quick hug. Hilda grabbed his hand and gave him a chaste kiss.

“Actually sleep in your bed this time, Al.” She demanded.

“No, I'm going to sleep on the sofa, just to spite you. You can't stop me.” Alfendi retorted.

“But I can!” Kat piped up. “I'll sit next to you and poke you awake all day, I've got no other plans.”

Alfendi stared at her, as if trying to figure out if she was being serious, until he eventually relented, throwing his arms up in the air and marching upstairs in a loud huff. “Women! I'm surrounded by women who insist on doing stupid stuff like worrying about me.” He complained, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.

“Thanks Hilda.” Kat smiled at her. “Sorry about tracking your house phone number down, I hope that wasn't creepy.”

“It's fine, I'm sorry I didn't realise he hadn't been home in three days. He knows he's no use to us when he's this tired, I don't know why he keeps trying though.” Hilda explained.

“He takes after dad, he was a workaholic at times too.” Kat recalled. “Was there a new development on your case then? That's usually when he refuses to come home.”

Hilda bit her lip, knowing she couldn't say much to Katrielle. Even if she didn't get punished at work, Alfendi wouldn't half play war over it. “Yes, two days ago. He's getting really worked up over this case, Kat. Make sure he actually relaxes, alright? The commissioner gave him the day off, don't let him try to convince you otherwise.”

“Give Barton my thanks then, next time you see him.” Katrielle said. “I'll try, but you know what he's like.” Katrielle shrugged, that same smile on her face, although it was starting to look concerned.

“I don't know how you deal with him, you must have the patience of a saint.” Hilda wondered aloud.

“He's my brother, I have to. You're the one that chose to deal with him.” Katrielle replied, finally saying her goodbyes and shutting the door. The sofa certainly seemed a much more comfortable option than the stairs now.

/////////////////////////////

It wasn't until early afternoon that Alfendi finally woke up, surrounded for once by his usual messy bedroom, stacks upon stacks of papers strewed across the floors and surfaces. At least he'd made it to bed before falling asleep, and he'd even managed to get his tie off as well, which now decorated his floor. Clearly Flora had visited in the last few days, as there was some semblance of the room having been tidied, and Katrielle wasn't the type to tidy his room. Her room was always worse than his.

He eventually made is way downstairs, having decided to change into his pyjamas rather than his usual suit for work, carrying his file on the most recent murder with him. He'd 'borrowed' it from the station, they weren't going to miss it for one day, and he needed to look over it again with fresh eyes. Just because they'd insisted he stay at home didn't mean he wasn't going to work.

He was so close to cracking this case, he just knew it. Every inch of his intuition screamed at him, he just needed that damned evidence to prove he was right.

Katrielle was still sat on the sofa reading when he made his way into the living room. She looked up from her book to smile at him, receiving a small smile back in return.

“Did you sleep well?” She asked, sitting up and scooting over to give Alfendi room to sit down next to her.

“About as well as usual.” He replied, slumping into the sofa, placing the file on the arm rest beside him. These brutal killings were getting to him more than any others had, and with the seemingly random victims, there was a possibility that anyone could be next. Even those he knew. He had to solve it quick.

Katrielle stood up, prancing away to the kitchen. “Flora left some food for you, I'll reheat it for your breakfast.” She was out of the room before she could see Alfendi's disgusted face in response. But he couldn't refuse food, not with how his stomach was roaring at him. Instead he opened up the file to look over the evidence once more. There had to be something...

A bowl of spaghetti bolognaise was put in front of him, alongside a large cup of earl grey tea. Katrielle flicked the TV on before sitting next to him again, leaning against him while he ate, still reading over his notes.

“Still stuck on that case?” She asked.

“I'm not stuck, I know the answer. But I have to prove my answers to this puzzle, and that's the problem. The proof isn't there.” Alfendi explained. A few murders ago he'd finally seen the murderer among the suspect list, a man named Keelan Makepeace. He knew there was something dodgy about him, but the evidence didn't stack up. Even when he proved, suspect by suspect, that every other person involved was as innocent as he was, they still couldn't find that vital proof against Makepeace. The man didn't flinch in questioning, even when Al had to be dragged out my Justin. Even Justin and Hilda had tried to talk Al down from his theory, no, his understanding, of the case, but they just couldn't see it like he could. Something was missing.

“Are you all so stupid?” He'd screamed at last. “Even my little sister could figure this out. Why can't you?”

“Al, you're allowed to get one wrong. It's allowed. It can't be Makepeace, he didn't have the opportunity.” Hilda had tried to reassure him.

“Then the evidence is wrong. The camera's broken, it has to be!”

“Forensics already checked, it's functioning fine. There's no evidence because it's not him.” Hilda had tried to insist, but Al wouldn't hear it.

“You're intuition can't be flawless Al, come on.” Justin had added. “Just because you're wrong on this doesn't mean you're wrong on anything else.”

That's what they all thought, wasn't it? That he'd just gotten one case wrong, and he was being defensive about it. They were so worried, since all he had to go on that his dad was still alive was his intuition telling him so, and maybe if he started doubting himself then he'd crumble under the weight of realisation that maybe his dad wasn't coming back.

But he was right. He just knew he was. Keelan Makepeace was the jigsaw puzzle killer, and his dad was out there somewhere. He'd prove it all one day, he just had to.

He finally looked up at the telly at the over dramatic sound of someone apparently being killed. A documentary on some killer or another, someone less interesting than this current case, less puzzling. He barely paid it any mind, until he realised that Kat had put it on.

Kat hated these shows, and he quite enjoyed them. It was the spark of many arguments between them, what to put on the telly, with Katrielle usually winning since it 'scared her' and because he didn't have the heart to let her have nightmares. Usually he only watched them when she was out, or when it was early enough in the day that she couldn't possibly win the argument, but this time she'd willingly put it on for him. She must've been really worried about him.

“Hey Kat, I was thinking-” Alfendi began.

“Wow, that's dangerous.” Kat teased, receiving an elbow in the ribs for it.

“Fine then. I'll keep it to myself.”

They sat in silence for a while, continuing to watch the telly.

“Go on then. Tell me what you've been thinking about.” Kat said.

“No, you've lost the privilege.” Alfendi snorted.

“Fine.” Kat retorted.

The silence spread out further.

“It's the neighbour isn't it?” Katrielle asked, pointing at the telly.

“Yeah, it is. Took the police far too long to figure it out though. Bloody idiots.” Alfendi said. “Say, when this case is over, why don't we spend some more time together. I'm due a holiday anyway.”

Katrielle shot up, her face beaming. “You mean it?”

“Yeah, we'll pack our bags, and just. Go somewhere. Anywhere.” He offered. “You know, tour the country or something.”

“Really? Will Hilda be coming too?” Katrielle asked. Alfendi snorted.

“Not really a brother-sister holiday if she comes along, is it?”

“But she's your girlfriend, isn't she?”

Alfendi's cheeks went red as he shoved the giggling Katrielle across the sofa. “I see her enough at work, she can go without seeing me for a couple of weeks.”

“I don't mind if she wants to come, you know. And we'd have to invite Flora!”

“Not if Flora wants to bring her whole family along. Can't I just get some valuable time with my little sister?” Alfendi asked, pouting slightly. Katrielle shoved him playfully.

“I knew you loved me really.” She teased, to which Alfendi glared back in disgust.

“Only because someone has to.” Alfendi jeered back, quickly switching to a playful smile instead. Katrielle returned it, laying across the sofa with her head on his lap. Alfendi rested the notes he wasn't currently reading on top of her head.

“Can we go to Misthallery then, and see Arianna again?” Kat asked.

“Do you not know how a road trip works, Kat?” Alfendi asked, half absent mindedly as he returned to the case.

“And Dropstone? Katia always said we she visit her more often.”

“Kat, if you don't stop asking stupid questions we won't go.” Alfendi threatened. Kat remained quiet for a while after that, before saying:

“I hope you solve it soon.”

Alfendi waited a couple of minutes before responding “Me too, Kat. Me too.”


End file.
